Update: In a statement provided to Android Headlines, Royal Caribbean confirmed that Snap didn’t participate in the development of SeaSeekers and has only provided the Miami-based firm with its blessing. The original story is as follows.
Cruise company Royal Caribbean recently introduced SeaSeekers, a new wearable that takes the form of a diving mask and was designed to serve as an underwater version of Spectacles. The equipment is said to be serviceable up to 150 feet (45 meters) under water and can last for approximately half an hour on a single charge, the company said, adding that the new hardware is currently being tested by a number of professional divers and will be available to consumers in the near future. Free diver Ashleigh Baird recently did just that in Mexico’s Cenote El Pit sinkhole, as evidenced by her video that can be seen beneath this writing. Royal Caribbean has a pending patent application for SeaSeekers and is presumably only looking to offer the hardware to its own customers through rentals, though the Miami, Florida-based firm has yet to provide more details on the availability of the product in any official capacity.
It’s currently unclear to what degree — if any — did Snap participate in the development of SeaSeekers, but with the mask itself being designed exclusively for recording underwater snaps, the social media giant may have been involved in the project. The Venice, Los Angeles-based company has recently been committing massive resources to hardware in an effort to reinvent itself as “a camera company” following its initial public offering (IPO) in March. Though many industry watchers remain skeptical about Snap’s chances to penetrate the hardware market on the back of an ephemeral multimedia sharing platform that’s been struggling with user acquisition in recent months, the firm believes this course of action will ensure its long-term sustainability, allowing it to differentiate itself from the competition and provide consumers with a unique lineup of products and services.
Recent reports indicated that Snap is developing a follow-up to the Spectacles that’s said to offer augmented reality (AR) capabilities, though it remains to be seen whether the company ultimately goes through with that idea. An update on Snap’s hardware-related endeavors is expected to be available in the coming months, while Royal Caribbean may officially release SeaSeekers later this summer.
Dive 130 feet down into Mayan folklore with @deepleigh in cenote “El Pit.” 👻: @RoyalCaribbean to see her dive in Belize 6/25. #SeekDeeperpic.twitter.com/nIZthXHN6Q
— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) June 24, 2017